Overview of web service standards

Standardization, it should make our lives easier. For webservices the opposite becomes true. The stack of standards is growing very fast since SOAP and WSDL where introduced. I'm working on a list of all web service standards for a couple of weeks now, categorizing them and shortly describe their purpose.

Unfortunatly, this list won't be ready within a reasonable time. However, two days ago a very nice overview of the most used (or the most talked-about) standards was given by Michele Leroux Bustamante on InfoQ.

She introduces her article "Making Sense of all these Crazy Web Service Standards" as follows:

"With this article it is my intention to summarize the WS* protocols you hear about the most, while also emphasizing the most relevant standards you'll use today in terms of their actual implementation among web service platforms (with a focus on Java and .NET), their level of adoption and readiness, and their applicability to specific integration scenarios with .NET. If you are new to web services or to the WS* protocols, or you are having difficulty keeping up with the pace of change in this area, this article should help you to get your arms around the protocols that you hear the most about, and their purpose. I'll also talk briefly about the phases of interoperability around these advanced standards."
http://www.infoq.com/articles/ws-standards-wcf-bustamante

Really a MUST-read for all who are loosing grip on the growing stack of WS* standards!